ONE Championship

A short-notice win over a promotional veteran turned Antonio “The Flash” Cesar from newcomer into contender overnight. Next up, he finds out if that leap was real.

The Brazilian returns to the flyweight division against Matt Brown protege Joshua Perreira at ONE Fight Night 48, streaming live in U.S. primetime from Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium on Friday, October 2. It marks his sophomore ONE Championship outing, following a unanimous decision over Lito Adiwang this past July after stepping in on short notice, a result that pushed his overall record to 14-2 and his winning streak to nine straight fights.

Cesar credits two people above all else for the discipline behind that run: his mother, who raised eight children alone in Manaus, Brazil, and his first taekwondo coach.

“My mother made me a very disciplined person, and so did my first taekwondo coach. The combination of the two shaped my character, my habits, and my mindset,” he said.

Perreira brings perfect record into first true test

Perreira enters the bout with a perfect 6-0 record, highlighted by a 38-second spinning backfist knockout of Gilbert Nakatani earlier this year, though this represents his first real test since a promotional debut that ended in a no contest following ACL surgery. Whichever man’s streak breaks first will see his stock fall in a flyweight picture already crowded with unbeaten prospects.

Cesar’s path to this moment carried real weight behind it, turning professional at 17 and becoming a three-time Mr. Cage Flyweight Champion before ONE Championship came calling.

“I fell in love with it because of the lifestyle, not fame or money. I like training, preparing, and winning. If I keep winning, I can help the people around me and change my life, my wife’s life, and my family’s life,” he said.

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM